Sunday, March 23, 2014

The Hijab Issue: A question of individual rights and freedom (11th November 2013)

Our Singapore
HappeningsMonday, 11th November
2013

The Hijab Issue: A
question of individual rights
and freedom

On October 12, a
petition was started on Avaaz.org to allow Muslim women in Singapore working in
'front line' jobs - for example nursing and uniformed services to don the
hijab. The petition garnered 12,405 signatures before it was taken down.
However, the debate continues.

The issue has
gotten the attention of key figures in government with Prime Minister (PM) Lee
and Dr Yaccob Ibrahim weighing in on the issue. But recent statement from the
government appears to signal that the government will not budge in its stance.
Dr Yaacob Ibrahim recently posted on his Facebook that 'Most Muslims recognise
that if we allow employees or officers to modify their uniforms for religious
reasons, particularly for the police and the military, it would be very
problematic'. This statement led some to question what the minister meant by
'very problematic'. The government's justification for their reluctant to budge
has been vague with key figure such as Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Teo citing maintaining
overall social harmony as their key concern.

Before proceeding,
it will be good to note that on religious grounds, the hijab has been a subject
of contention among Muslim jurists and scholars past and present and
wearing/not wearing has never been part of the fundamental belief system of
Islam. However, traditionally, the hijab has been seen as part of the
(non-definitive) Muslim women's attire.(Source:http://m.todayonline.com//singapore/matter-individual-choice-not-communal-right) Thus it is the
individual choice of a Muslim woman to consider all views on this issue and
make a decision as to whether she wants to don the hijab and the state should
respect her personal decision on the grounds of individual choice and belief.

It might be helpful
to explore the various concerns that the government may have. I personally feel
that there are 3 key concerns.

Firstly, it is the
concern that by allowing Muslim women to don the hijab at these 'front-line'
jobs, it will set the precedent for other religious group to request for
permission to allow them to don items that are unique to their religion. This
concern is understandable. However, we should not be afraid that that by
allowing different groups to openly practice their religious beliefs, it will
cause social disharmony in Singapore. Every individual has the right to
practice their religious beliefs as long as it does not infringe upon the
fundamental rights of others and/or hurt others and/or undermine the social
stability of the country. The government should evaluate their decision of
whether to allow these groups to practice their religious beliefs on the above grounds
and as long it does not undermine social stability, this fundamental right
should not be refused. In fact, by allowing different groups to practice their
religious beliefs, we are openly embracing multiculturalism that we pride
ourselves upon. We may dress differently and have different religious beliefs,
but if we can come together to have a meal and appreciate our differences, it's
a real mark of a mature society that is willing to understand and accommodate
people from different backgrounds. And allowing Muslim women to don the hijab
across all government agencies will be a good step forward towards promoting
inclusiveness and cohesion in Singapore.

Secondly, on a more
practical view, some may argue that donning the hijab in the nursing sector may
not be feasible due to hygiene reasons. Others, argue that donning it in
uniformed services may be not feasible due to operational exigencies. I believe
these are concerns that can be worked around be it adjusting or redesigning
uniforms to fit the physical/hygiene needs of the job. Other countries, like
Malawi, were able to work around such issues so I do not see why Singapore
can't.

Lastly, it may be
the concern that Singapore may not be ready for our 'front-line' workers to don
the hijab. I have faith that we have progressed far enough as a society to be
embracing enough that this is not a concern. Besides we have many private
corporations based in Singapore that has integrated the hijab into the uniforms
of front line staffs and Singaporeans have no concerns about it.

What is more
pertinent is the fact that the real target of this debate- Muslim Women who
wants to enter these jobs and who wishes to don the hijab, are not weighing in
enough on the issue. We have no idea how many people will this change in
policy, if it gets implemented, affect and how this current ban is affecting
their career options. It would be good to hear their viewpoint on the issue as
they are the one directly concerned.

It is tricky for
the government to thread an issue where a minority group is involved as on one
hand you have to be truly aware and understanding of the group's stance and on
the other hand you have to hold your ground and make a decision that is
principled which may/may not be welcomed by the minority group.

With regards to
this issue, I feel that the government should allow the hijab to be don across
all government sector jobs. Firstly, this decision should be a principled one
where the government recognizes the importance of acknowledging one's rights to
practice his/her religious beliefs so long as it does not infringe the rights of
another individual, which clearly does not in this case. Secondly, it would be
an acknowledgement of the maturity of our Singapore society that we are able to
accommodate and embrace different religious beliefs in our society. And lastly,
it will be a strong signal to the Muslim community that their views matter and
that they are heard. This is a step in civil engagement that I believe the
Muslim community will appreciate and the trust that is built up between the
Muslim community and the government will be helpful in resolving future
concerns that may not be as easy to navigate.

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Author's Bio

Shaun Yeo is currently an active grassroots volunteer in the Kembangan-Chai Chee constituency who spearheads youth-centric projects in the area. He has a personal interest in local current affairs, having launched a Facebook note series called Our Singapore Happenings chronicling and analysing pertinent issues in the little red dot. He is a contributor on Popspoken - Entertainment & lifestyle news with a pulse on the issues that matter.